Data Platform Design Manager

Who are we?

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Job Title: Data Platform Design Manager

Location: London/Hybrid
Job Type: Full-time

Job Summary:

Are you passionate about leading the design of cutting-edge, scalable, and intelligent data platforms? Do you thrive on solving complex data challenges, integrating modern cloud-native architectures, and enabling advanced analytics and AI/ML solutions?

We are seeking a Head of Data Platform Design to lead the architecture and development of an enterprise-scale data platform on Azure and Databricks. In this role, you will define the data platform strategy, lead a team of solution architects, and drive best practices in data governance, security, and advanced analytics. You will work closely with business leaders, data engineers, and AI/ML teams to build a modern, future-proof data ecosystem that supports data-driven innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and strategy for the organisation’s enterprise data platform, ensuring scalability, security, and cost optimisation.

• Head and mentor a team of data and solution architects, driving best practices and technical excellence in platform design.

• Define and establish high-level and low-level architectural standards for Azure Databricks, data governance, and data integration frameworks.

• Develop and oversee the integration of key enterprise data capabilities, including:

  • Master Data Management (MDM) for unified and high-quality data

  • Data catalogue solutions for metadata management and discovery

  • Data governance frameworks for policy enforcement, compliance, and lineage tracking

  • Data quality solutions to enhance accuracy, consistency, and reliability

  • Machine Learning (ML) architecture and AI workloads to support advanced analytics and AI-driven decision-making.

• Set the direction for hub-and-spoke data architecture models, ensuring alignment with business and regional data strategies.

• Provide thought leadership on modern data platforms, including Lakehouse, Medallion Architecture, and Delta Lake best practices.

• Ensure seamless integration of analytics, AI/ML, and BI capabilities within the platform architecture.

• Oversee and enforce enterprise data security, access control, and compliance standards, leveraging Azure security and IAM best practices.

• Engage with executive stakeholders and cross-functional teams to align the data platform with business objectives and digital transformation goals.

• Continuously evaluate emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices, ensuring the data platform remains cutting-edge.

Key Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of experience in data architecture, solution architecture, or cloud data engineering, with a focus on data platform strategy and leadership.

• Proven experience leading and mentoring teams in data platform architecture and solution design.

• Deep expertise in Azure data services, including Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, Azure Event Hub, Azure Storage etc

• Strong understanding of hub-and-spoke architectures, federated data governance, and cloud-native data platform design.

• Extensive experience with data integration, MDM, data governance, and data quality tools.

• Experience designing and integrating Machine Learning (ML) architectures on Azure, including:

  • MLOps and model lifecycle management in Azure ML and Databricks

  • Feature engineering and feature stores in a cloud-based data ecosystem

  • Model deployment, serving, and monitoring within a Lakehouse or Data Mesh framework.

• Proficiency in Apache Spark, Python, SQL, and Scala for large-scale data processing.

• Expertise in Azure networking, security, and IAM, including Azure Private Link, VNETs, Managed Identities, and RBAC.

• Strong problem-solving and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to balance technical excellence with business priorities.

• Excellent leadership, stakeholder engagement, and communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.

Preferred Certifications (Nice to Have)

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert

• Databricks Certified Data Engineer or Solution Architect

• Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer or Azure ML Specialist

If you are a visionary leader who thrives on building and leading world-class data platforms, we’d love to hear from you!

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs.  Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.